The science of metrology continues to evolve as the need for precision measurement grows in various technical and industrial fields. In combination with this growth, engineers and scientists are designing devices of increasing complexity and decreasing size. In particular, much of the development in metrological research has been spurred by interest in micro-electromechanical systems and microelectro-optical systems. Measurement techniques are important in fabricating these miniature devices within certain required tolerances and for evaluating the quality of the fabricated devices. The determination of quality in such micro devices frequently includes the characterization of motion within and by the micro-devices.
When the physical characteristics of an object, such as its size or material properties, preclude direct contact between a measurement apparatus and the device being tested, other measurement techniques are often required. Various classes of optical devices and techniques are typically used to make measurements on such small devices. Laser Doppler Vibrometry, white light interferometry, laser triangulation, video microscopy, and computer vision systems are some of the existing available techniques and devices suitable for creating data sets relating information about the motion of such devices. Sophisticated algorithms and mathematical models are typically required to process the complex data produced by these techniques to obtain the information characterizing the motion of the devices.